AIDA Offers New Twist on Art Auction

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July 22, 2015

AIDA Cruises hosted what it called an international art event aboard the AIDAsol last Sunday with six artists presenting their works onboard and speaking about their creations.

According to the cruise line, the most prominent guest was the Argentine graphic artist and cartoonist Guillermo Mordillo. Also aboard were the inventor of the AIDA red lips, Feliks Büttner, the painter Devin Miles, Malte Brekenfeld belonging to the artist group MARFA, as well as Rando Geschewski and caricaturist Peter Bauer.

“From the very beginning AIDA has had a mission to give high priority to art onboard. Today the works of many known artists enthuse some 800,000 guests each year who spend their vacation on our ships,” commented Michael Ungerer, president.

AIDA claims to have set artistic accents right fromt the start, when the first ship went into service back in 1996. The exterior painting of the AIDA ships features two eyes at the bow, kiss-pursed lips, and eyelids that are drawn out like waves over the ship’s sides. Rostock painter Feliks Büttner gave the ships faces with glowing colors.

The cruise line said that painting of the ships also provides a taste of what travelers can expect onboard: More than 10,000 works of art are found on the ships, including works by important artists of international standing, others by up-and-coming young artists from all over Germany.

For eight years, the line has also been operating 10 art galleries on its ships. The fixed inventory of exhibits comprises up to 2,000 works of art per ship from 45 different artists valued from 120 euros up to 200,000 euros. The art on offer is curated by AIDA and offers what it calls all genres of contemporary art, including paintings, drawings, printed graphics, sculpture and hand-made designer jewelry. Academically trained staff offer the guest expert advice and conduct art auctions.

Special art theme cruises allow passengers to meet and experience their favorite artist. The artists then transform the ship into their personal studio and create unique works of art that subsequently can be bought at auction.